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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24238258">Happy birthday</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/MossyFlossy/pseuds/MossyFlossy'>MossyFlossy</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>The Invisible Library - Genevieve Cogman</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/M, Fluff</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-05-17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-05-17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-02 19:47:18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,852</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24238258</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/MossyFlossy/pseuds/MossyFlossy</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Irene turns... Well she's somewhere in her thirties I guess</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Irene/Kai (The Invisible Library)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>8</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Happy birthday</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">
      <li>For <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheOfficialKai517/gifts">TheOfficialKai517</a>.</li>



    </ul><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>To Kai, I hope that you have had a very Happy birthday</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>"Happy birthday." Kai said softly, he slipped his arms around Irene and pulled her against his chest, burying his head in her messy hair that curled on the pillows of her bed. She hummed, still half asleep but more than happy to let herself be pulled to his bare chest, revelling in the perfect warmth that she felt on her skin, as well as the warmth that flooded through her body and she felt in her stomach. She smiled and draped her arm across his middle, cool fingers pressing against his back.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"That it is." She quietly said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"That it is." Kai certainly sounded happier about that than she did. "I can't believe that you didn't tell me last year. I can't believe that you don't celebrate it."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I'm nearly forty, that's too old for birthday parties."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"My father is hundreds of years older than you and has a party every year."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Your father is a king. I'm just Irene."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Just Irene? Oh you will never be just Irene." He said. "Not to me at least. No, to me... I don't even have the words for it." He propped himself up to look down at her. He trailed fingers down her cheek before softly kissing her. "I'd never say that you were perfect, but that's one of the things that I like about you. You're unapologetically you, a beautiful mess of a woman."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I'm a mess?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Did you miss me calling you beautiful?" Kai tucked hair behind his ear and Irene reached up to mess it up again, liking the way that it fell over his eyes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Who's the mess now?" She asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Still you, beautiful." He smirked, and sat up. "I'm going to grab a shower and start on breakfast if you feel like going to sleep for a little longer." Irene settled back into the pillows and reached for one of the books stacked up on her bedside table as he got out of bed and grabbed his dressing gown.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I'm good." She said. "I'll hop in the shower when you're done."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"You're giving up a lie in?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I have got no jobs to get done. We're up to date with all of our paperwork, Coppelia knows not to expect to hear from me today. We have dinner reservations with Vale tonight and tickets to the Opera. You get my undivided attention all day, it's your lucky day." He knelt on the bed and kissed her again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"It's your birthday." He said. "I'm going to make it your lucky day."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"You're already taking me to the opera, you don't need to do anything else for me, this is more than I could ask for." He smiled.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"But I want to." He said. "You deserve it. Enjoy your book. I won't be too long."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Kai was making pancakes when Irene came downstairs and she leant on the doorframe and crossed her arms across her chest. Her hair was wet and she'd left it loose, curling at her shoulders and leaving wet spots on her dress. "Well I certainly have you very well trained." She said, he jumped, she rarely managed to successfully sneak up behind him, but it did happen on the odd occasion. He turned around, spatula in hand. "Are you making pancakes?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Yes. There's strawberries on the table and chocolate sauce." Her eyes lit up. "I thought that you'd like that. They're nearly all finished and-" The kettle whistled. "And the kettle is just about boiled." She filled the teapot and carried it over to the table, where the milk jug and sugar pot was already waiting for them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Thank you." She touched his hip and kissed his cheek just before he could sit down. "You know me far too well."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Too well?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I like to keep an air of mystery about myself." She shrugged before laughing and starting to pour their drinks. "Also it does go against my nature as a Librarian."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I'd hope that you trusted me enough to be more open."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I do, it's just new to me, which I do like, don't worry. I like being open for a change."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Start eating, before they get cold." Kai said, smiling and watching as Irene immediately grabbed the strawberries. She had a sweet tooth at times, though she'd never admit to craving chocolate.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He helped her down from the cab, a gentle touch on her wrist, before turning to pay. Irene stood on tiptoes to look over the throngs and spot Vale, who she found by the entrance to the restaurant they would be visiting. She took Kai's arm and they picked through the people until they got to him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Happy birthday." Vale said with a soft smile that she'd have said was unlike the man when they first met. "Have you had a good day?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Very, I've spent almost the whole day reading." She smiled up at Kai. "Someone kept me well supplied with tea almost the entire day."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Shall we go in before they give away our table?" Kai asked and they all agreed. Vale had made the reservation so he spoke to the waiter who met them at the door and they were led to a sheltered table tucked into the corner of the restaurant, out of the way of most of the other tables, allowing them some hush and privacy. They ordered wine and Irene took a sip from her glass as she perused the menu.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"What is it that you're seeing tonight?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Orfeo Ed Euridice." Irene said, she'd studied the classics at school and had a soft spot for the Greek ones as she'd enjoyed learning the language along with the old stories. She'd seen that there would be a performance of it a few months ago and mentioned it off hand to Kai. He'd surprised her two weeks before her birthday with tickets for a private box.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I hear it is a rather good performance." Vale said. "You'll have to let me know, I don't often have the time for such things though."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Irene touched Kai's foot with her own and he suddenly looked up as she slid her foot up over her ankle. She watched him with some amusement as he cleared his throat and continued his conversation with Vale. She pulled back and he flicked his eyes to hers. She raised her glass, smirking at him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It was raining as they bade Vale goodbye outside of the restaurant. Kai had brought an umbrella as he'd felt the rain coming. Normally he'd let himself get soaked, or keep them dry through his inherent affinity, but that'd look suspicious. Besides, he and Irene both happened to enjoy the sound of rain on the umbrella.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The restaurant wasn't too far from the Royal opera House, on Long Acre road, a short walk away, so despite the rain they didn't bother with a cab and instead strolled there, Irene and Kai arm in arm, she leant her cheek on his shoulder. "You didn't need to do this for me."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I'd treat you like this every day if you'd let me." He replied. "No work would get done, we'd lose our jobs and then we can just spend all of our time making books and reading pancakes." She laughed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"We would be bored and pestering Vale within the week." Irene said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"True, yes, but it'd be a great week."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It was dark and they were both a little tipsy when they returned to the house, Kai managed to drop the house keys as Irene leant on railings and laughed. He got it open eventually and grabbed her around the waist, pulling her into the house behind him. She knocked the door shut and flung her arms around his shoulders.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Thank you." She said softly. She slid her fingers into his hair and pulled him to her, kissing him. Kai stumbled, just as tipsy as she was, even if he'd drunk far more than she had done. He wrapped his arms around her hips and pulled her to his chest stabilising them both as he kissed her back. Irene pulled away, cheeks flushed and only half of it was due to the alcohol.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I have two more surprises for you." He said, kissing her again, his pupils were dilated and he was fixated on her. He dopily smiled and kissed her again. "Mm, just..." Another kiss. And another one. "Bloody addictive woman." He pushed himself away from her. "I'd spend all day kissing you if I could. Stay here. I'll be back. Shut your eyes, I want to keep it a surprise." Irene pursed her lips but did so, standing very still (swaying just a little bit) in the dark hallway. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She heard him turn on the kitchen light and open one of the drawers. It was hard to hear Kai's movements, he was incredibly light footed so it wasn't until he was almost right in front of her again that she knew where he was. "Can I open them again?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Give me a moment. Now, I know that this will sound strange, but I need to prick your finger. It shouldn't hurt badly. May I?" Irene trusted Kai almost entirely but that made her pause. "Trust me, 'Rene." She inhaled and held her hand out to him. Kai put his hand below hers, his touch was soft, a gentle caress over her skin before she felt the needle jab into the pad of her index finger and she jumped. "It's alright." She felt a cool stone on her finger. Two pieces of it in fact. And then Kai, kissing the tiny injury better. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I don't think that that really works." She said softly. "May I open my eyes now?" </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"You may." She slowly fluttered her eyes open and looked at what he was holding. It was a circle of blue stone on a leather cord, and a second one discarded to one side. "This is yours." He said. "With your blood on it, and mine, no matter where you are, or where I am, we will be able to find each other." Irene stared at it. "I know that green is more your colour but…" </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I love it." She breathed, looking up, the stone matched his eyes. "It is perfect Kai. It really is." He undid the clasp and Irene held her hands out of the way, Kai slipped it around her throat, fingers grazing cool skin and leaving goosebumps behind them. "Thank you." Kai took the second one and put it on, tucking it away underneath his shirt. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I'm glad that you liked it. I thought for a moment that maybe it was too much." He sheepishly smiled, the expression at odds with everything else that she knew of him, she couldn't remember seeing him ever look so unsure of himself. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>So she kissed him, just to convince him that she was telling the truth. "It's perfect." She said, almost entirely against his lips. "You're perfect." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"There's cake in the kitchen as well." He said. "Just in case that makes today even better."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"You are all I need to make a day better." </span>
</p>
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